From quarks to quasars, this stimulating survey of the main branches of science provides lay readers with a broad scientific understanding. Science writer and chemistry professor Keith Laidler illuminates how best to appreciate the beauty, complexity, and order of the universe, delving into the specifics of chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy, and showing how each discipline complements the others. He provides straightforward explanations of the major scientific developments since the 16th century, coupled with stories of such giants as Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin, Gregor Mendel, Marie Curie, Ernest Rutherford, Albert Einstein, James Watson, Francis Crick, and Edward Lorenz.